Ira reynolds



IRA REYNOLDS, or REPUBLIC, oHIo.

Ransom-emmen.

` `Specitfz'lcation `of Letters Patent No. Y8,694, dated an'ary 27,`1F52.

{ To all `whom it mag/"concern:

` "Beit known thatI, IRA REYNOLDS, of Re` i public,'in the county ofSeneca and State of Ohio,` have invented anew and `Improved Mode ofChanging the switch-Rans of Ran`- i i roadfTracks; and I do hereby`declare that the following is a ffull ,accurate description thereof,referencebeing ,i had to the accompanying drawings `and` to the lettersof reference marked thereon, `the same letters re`^` ferring to the sameparts.

, Thenatureof my invention consists in aty taching radial links, orarms, and swiveled levers, to the stay bar, connecting the switchrails,in `such amanner asto secure a perfeet change, and lock,1forthe same;but 1n order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use myinvention I will proceed i to describe its construction and operation.

Figure `l is a plan, showing a section oi the main trackand turn out, orside track,

also the position of the longitudinal swivel levers, with a top view ofthe ways or prof ject-ions A, A, A, for moving the same. Fig. 2, is acentral, vertical, longitudinal, section, showing the under side of thelevers B, B', the point on which theylturn, also a side lview of A, Fig."1, Fig. 3, is a transverse section on the dotted line C C of 1,showingthe position of the double hinged link or arm D, when the` trackis in place,

Fig. 4, is a similar section, giving `a` vertical view `of the link, orarm, as the track` is being changed, Fig. `5 is an end view` of` thedouble track showing the bevel and curve between the rails, Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the operative lever, which `is atftached tothelocomotive and acts upon the f ways or projections A which are attachedto` the swivel levers B, thus adjusting the switch rails, atthewill ofthe operator.

` with `holes in each `end `for the boltsln on In constructingthisswitch, I use the com-l mon superstructure and place upon the sillsthereof, aieheavv bar oriplate of iron F,

Figs. 2, `3, andui with` slots, or mortises,

" 1 through it,for securing the lower ends of the links, or arms, D,Figs. Sand 4,.` I also attach to the ends of the switch rails, anotherheavy stay-bar, of iron E, with slots or mortises as above in which Isecure the upper ends of the links, or arms, by;v means `of strongbolts, as seen in Figs. 3,- and 4,

at `Z9, thus forming doubl hinges, in the two bars as above, these linksor armsare made of wrought ironof suitable size and length `which thellink, or arm, turns,these links,

may be 'Inade of different lengths` but 1t 1s presumed that the lengthbetween the cen`t`e"r`` of the` holes,AV should be about equallto thedistance required `for the switch rails to move, so thatwhen the trackis in plac'ef'tlelink or arm forms a complete lock forth'e switch' railsas 'seen in Fig, 3, and

will hold them in that position until operated upon byth'efaction `ofthe swivel lever B, when they will turn upon the several hinge joints,`thus scribi-nga segment of a 1 security, for the switch rails and staybar, atfth'e same time secure a perfect and lunfiforin motion, `andaction, of` the levers i Brin changing the track as rseen in Fig. 4.

` VThe `lever AB is made fof strong timber or othermaterial1 andisofs'uitable size to seujre the desired strength, ands about 16 i feetlong, 'this lever is sloped off on the under side so as to form` aconvex bearing in the center where it-rests on the superstructur'e h,jte which it is secured by a bolt, or .i pin, g, Fig. 12, in such amanner as to form aswivel jointfon which it turns; being thus attached,by, the strong bolt or `pin g, near thecenter ofthe track and to thestay bal,l

F, means of strong bars of iron, and bolts, as seen inFigs. l, 2,13, and4 at i, it is held `lfl` and steady while the operative lever Figke',`acts upon the` way or projection A Figsgl, and 2, these ways, orprojections may bemade of cast ,ironlandof a wedge 'shap'eas seen at, AFigs. 1, and 2. 'LIhe i upper portion n, being the smallest,

` forms shoulders` j,`Fig.` 2, which are sliglfltly"` inclined both waysas seen at` j,iFi'g. 2,

y soythat when the` operative lever ,Fig. `6,

' `(which attached to the locomotive) strikes e on `the shoulder j,justabove 7c, it` presses it town and passes up unti1 it strikes thesmaller portion `11which being ofa wedge shape presses` theleversidewi`se, thus give lng it a downward lateral motion and "of coursereversesthe motion of the opposite end of the lever which is attached tothe i stay bar F,fthe stay bar being attached to the switch rails,andsecured bythe arm or link, raises the stay bar andswitch rails, as seenin Fig. hat which position` it will be seen that the `plane is reversed,thus giving a descending` shoulder for the operative lever to pass down,while the side pressure continues until the operative lever has passed,

l the way, or projection, when `the arms `or links will .havek scribedthe segment of a' circle from e, to 7, Fig. 4, and the switch rails willagain be secured and locked as seen in Fig. 3.

The lever B1 is similar to that of B, described above with an arm B2Fig. 1, attached thereto wit-h .strong bolts, and is curved so that theend ofthe lever on which the way or projection is secured, comes in thecenter of the side track, and 1s operated in the same manner as thelever Bof the main track, so that if the train was on the side track m,m, Fig. 1, by turning the operative lever Fig. 6, so as to strike theway or` projection on the side at O,Fig.1,itwould change the switchrails and receive the train .Y on the main track, and would have thesame effect upon the switch rails, as itwould if the train werev comingupon the main track at P, P, Fig. 1, and desired to run on the sidetrack m, m, the levers in both cases moving the same'way. rIt will alsobe seen from this, that whenever the change is made at either end of thelevers the opposite end l strong bar of iron with the ylower end turned,in the form of an elbow, and is se-l cured at the journals j Vto thelocomotive or car by means of boxes in which it turns, but as I do notintend to claim anything v new in the attaching of levers or Shifters tothe locomotive or car, I will proceed to describe that portion v'of it,inwhich my improvement consists, which is in the shape of the elbow orshoe m, which is slightly tapered on its sides toward the forward end yas seen by the lines a, u, Fig. 6, the underside of this elbow or shoeis beveled each way from the point at lw, so that it will not catchbefore itA strikes the shoulders of the ways or projections, as abovedescribed, thus forming a partof the means whereby the swiveled lever B,receives a downward lat eral mot-ion, thereby producing a perfectnatural and instant change of the switch rails. The pointy of thisoperative lever may be easily turned and secured so as to strike eitherside of the ways, or projections, or it may be made double and slidedown, by having the two points at y set sufcient dist-ance apart tostrike on either side of the ways, or projections, and slid down bymeans of levers, so arranged that only one will be down at the sametime, and thus produce the same action and secure the same movement ofthe lever B as that produced by the operative revolving lever as above.

About 6 4feet of the double track of this switch forming the main trackand turnout is made of cast iron, so constructed as to form a sort ofbeveled groove, so curved at the bottom as to form a perfect, smooth,"`concave, between the rails, as seen at Fig.

5, the design of 'constructing these rails in this manner, will beapparent by comparing them vwith the endsv of the switch rails (as seenat a, Figs. 3 and 4;) which are slightly beveled down to the flanges 0A,it will here be observed by comparing the positionA of,v

the switch rails and arm or link D, Fig. 3,

with that of the switch rails f', andthe the levers) themotion isupward,thusbring ing the action of the beveled groove of the main track,and the beveled and flanged ends c, Figs. 3 and 4 ofthe switch rails toiact in unison, so that if any obstruction was placed between the maintrack and across the switch, it would instantly be thrown out, thusobviating all of the dificulties which have heretofore existed withreference to the switch being locked or blocked up by designing personsor otherwise. The action of the levers upon the stay bar, and switchrails, when held secure, by the arms or links, is perfectly calculatedto relieve itself from snow, ice, or other obstructions, and when inplace the links or arms form a most perfect lock for the switch rails,securing them in every position.

The ways or projections A, are secured to the swiveled levers, by strongbolts, or otherwise, or the swivel levers may be cast of suitableproportions to secure the strength required,y with the .ways orprojections as desired. u

I am aware that carriers or tumblers have been placed under switchrails, in order to carry them over, and secure a certain motion andlockage, of the same, by placing a tumbler, under the rails withoutsecuring them thereto, in which instances, the motion of the lever isonly lateral, therefore the upward motion of the rail is produced by thetumbler, andis evidently straining upon the levers'. and fastenings, ofthe switch rails, which are not secured against the undue action of thelevers, neither would they form a lock if placed under a main trackswitch, but in my switch, the action of the levers upon thev stay barand switch rails, v

when held in place by the links or arms, gives them an upward lateralmotion consequently, I do not wish or intend to claim the placing, orattaching of links, arms, or tumblers, under the switch rails,lor staybars,

and securing them in a perfect,\and uniformV rails are moved upward andlaterally in 10 motion, when acted upon by the levers, also mannersubstantially as described. to act as a stay, or lock, which shall e'ec-In testimony whereof I havesubscribed i tually hold and l[secure Jheswitcljl rails in my name before two subscribing witnesses. 5 `everosition, su stantal as set orth.

ayipciaim a combinatioll of the pivoted IRA REYNOLDS- levers B and B1furnished with peculiar Witnesses: forme-d ways A, with the operativeshoe A. GREGORY,

so constructed and arranged that theswitch i y A. E. T. C. JOHNSON.

